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Ask HN: iPad Pro Instead of MacBook Air? 16GB RAM?

8 points by wellthisisgreat ↗ HN
Hello, is iPad Pro + physical keyboard a viable substitute for Macbook Air? I am not familiar with iPadOS ecosystem and not sure how powerful the apps are.

1. I am looking to use it for Keynote, light coding, typing, browsing, Photoshop and Illustrator. My assumption is that iPad Pro may be better for graphics work b/c of the pencil and the rest would be on par with a laptop once you add a physical keyboard. A big upside is that I can use a split keyboard and save my hands from RSI pain that I'd get from long typing sessions on a traditional keyboard.

2. I know Apple offers 16GB of RAM with a 1TB version. I don't really need 1TB, but am looking at this iPad to serve me for ~5 years and 16GB would be an absolute minimum of RAM I'd go for in a laptop. On the other hand I keep reading iPadOS doesn't even utilize 16GB. I hope someone on HN can clarify if 16GB is worth buying if I'm ok with just 512GB or would that be just a dead weight. Thanks.

20 comments

[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 47.2 ms ] thread
josephcsible
The MacBook Air at least gives you some low-level control over the device. The iPad Pro gives you none.
oenetan
Agreed 100%. Go with the Air, you can do more stuff on it than the iPad, including programming.
maxharris
The iPad Pro is great, but you can't develop on it.

I just bought the 16GB M1 MacBook Pro a week ago. Xcode flies on this thing.

arthurcolle
no it is not. no shell/root access other than ssh into a different server, which is just silly. I use an iPad for some things, some times and have tried to get a dev environment set up on it and it is just not where it needs to be at all.

an iPhone is equally as *capable as an iPad for a local dev env

auslegung
I’ve never understood the appeal to use an iPad over a MacBook Air for anything at all ever, but especially for this use case. So obviously I’m not the target market for a tablet. But could you help me understand what you would like about using an iPad over an Air for what you’ve described?
speedgoose
Most applications are better on the iPad and the user experience is improved a lot thanks to the touchscreen and a better window management of the operating system notably.

It's a shame you can't develop on the iPad or run a web browser that is not Safari or Safari with a wig.

wellthisisgreat
I have a 15" Macbook Pro, so Air / iPad Pro will be in addition to MBP. The iPad Pro appeals to me on 4 (or 3.5) points:

1) As a reader I don't read that much to justify a separate ebook device. I am cautiously optimistic about iPad Pro for documents / articles / papers etc. Also highlighting with pencil.

2) Split Keyboard. Air will force me to use regular keyboard, and I will get RSI after long typing sessions. I think iPad Pro + Dock + small ergo keyboard will be about the same weight as Air.

3) Sketching, drawing, highlighting (via Pencil). Seems nice to have the alternative way of input/draw things / diagram stuff. Also promising for PDF annotation etc.

4) Form factor, seems like it's easier to take iPad Pro to the park to read/ browse / check emails. Not entirely sure about this point though.

limitedmage
Reading and highlighting is definitely much better on an iPad than a laptop. Writing and web browsing can also be great. Since you already have a laptop, maybe take a look at the iPad Air instead of the Pro, it still supports the Pencil and external devices and USB-C, if you don’t need the power or the 13” display. As others have mentioned, coding on the iPad is really not feasible without some hacky setup (remote dev environments).
auslegung
I can understand using the pencil, my wife has an iPad with a pencil and it’s fun to play with sometimes.

Thanks for explaining. I come down on the other side of all your points, but I can see why you would consider an iPad over an Air.

brtkdotse
My iPad Pro with the keyboard case feels heavier and bulkier than my Lenovo x280
amerkhalid
iPad is a great consumption and artistic device. I have iPad Pro 10.5 from years ago. It is my favorite device to read in, sketch, take notes with pencil, play with music apps, watch videos, edit photos and videos etc. I also use blink shell app to code PHP projects on vps.

But as other have said it is not 100% there, I still use my laptop and new Mac Mini for some programming related stuff. Obviously, need it when doing work on Swift projects but also need it to make local backup of my photos and videos.

if you are backend developer, you may be able to live with iPad. Keynote and other productivity apps seems fine. Only thing holding me from going 100% in iPad is not an easy way to backup media locally and no easy way to work on ui projects.

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misframer
I mostly use an M1 iPad Pro for personal use. I can get 90% of my personal work done on it, but not everything (e.g. I had to use my laptop for some tax filing work).

GitHub Codespaces works well enough to work on my blog but it’s not a replacement for the full dev environment I have on my laptop.

If you just had to pick one, I would go for the MacBook Air.

aborsy
I can’t get much work done with iPad. It’s good for browsing, video and media streaming. Other than that, I use a laptop.

I don’t use an iPad keyboard because a laptop is equally heavy. Also laptop ergonomics are much better for typing (iPad keyboard doesn’t sit well in some situations).

But the dealbreaker is really Apple starting to scan users’ devices (in a limited form for now, but that could evolve). I see a laptop a much better choice.

batterylow
I have both a M1 MacBook Air and 12.9in iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard.... the iPad Pro is only used as an external monitor (sidecar) because of the M1 monitor limitations, and besides that, it collects dust...

Unfortunately, I always find it easier to just pick up a laptop to get anything done. Even if it's just browsing from the sofa, where I'd be too worried about the iPad tipping backwards!

joegahona
You didn't mention Sheets/Docs/Excel -- do you ever have a need for that? Because they're not good on an iPad.
runjake
They're pretty much the same price, so buy the one that most-closely resembles a general purpose computer: the MacBook Air.

Besides, only the Air will do everything you listed adequately.

If LTE is a buying point, just use your iPhone as a personal hotspot.

privacyisntdead
The iPad is great for notes, reviewing articles, artistic stuff with the pencil.

For everything other than that, I have found it overhyped, overpriced, and severely limited in functionality.

If you’re interested, I would argue getting a cheaper iPad with the better pencil. Save yourself some money and potential buyers remorse.